8 Useful Tips for Writing a Professional Resume - 2020

Resume writing companies like Resumeble are doing great business because more and more people are relying to write their resumes. But, before you spend the money, you should at least try to write a professional resume. Then, when you do use a resume service, at least you will have a resume for them to use as a framework. Have a go at writing your own resume using the tips listed in this article.

1. Consider What You Have Written in the Application

Other online articles are so concerned with telling you to write something positive and add in the correct margins that they completely ignore the transitory nature of resumes (an impermanence that suggests the inevitability of ending). There is a reason why resume companies like Resumeble.com are doing such big business; it is because people need different resumes all the time. One resume will not cut it.

You need to look at what you have written in your job application and use that to judge what should go in your resume. For example, if the application is a very long and arduous task, then adding lots of detail into your resume may be redundant because you may be repeating yourself. On the other hand, if the application misses out a chunk on prior non-skill specific experience, or perhaps misses out a section on human qualities (like punctuality, team player, etc.), then add and highlight these qualities and skills in your resume, while leaving out the parts that were heavily covered in the application.

2. Lose the Fancy Fonts, Italics, and Clever Graphics

One of the most common mistakes made by people fresh out of college is to have a highly graphical and fancy looking resume. Try to remember that your resume is not a work of art; it is closer to a Microsoft spreadsheet than it is to a sales flier. Keep that in mind when you are writing your resume because nobody is impressed by an impressive looking resume without content.

3. Keep It Shorter for Minimum Wage or Non-career Jobs

Keep in mind what was mentioned on the first tip about filling your resume with the information that is not present in your application. However, remember that minimum-wage and non-career jobs have a lot of competition, in which case it is often better to keep your resume short, very clear, very concise, and very easy to read. When there are a lot of applications, the hiring managers will have a temptation to discard anything that causes more work than is necessary, and an overly long and/or elaborate resume is hard work to read.

4. Add a Three-point Objectives Section

Many online articles are going to tell you to abandon the three-point objective section, but that is because so many people mess it up. It is the one place on your resume where you can make genuine impact as a potential worker. It is also a great place to mess up and lose any chance of getting the job. Put yourself in the shoes of the employer and ask what you would want to read in a resume.

8 Useful Tips for Writing a Professional Resume - 2020

5. Write a Different Resume to Suit Each Job

Take a look at all the sections in your resume and look at how they are broken down. Different jobs demand different elements to be highlighted. For example, if you are applying to work in an office, do you think they care all that much about your extracurricular activities climbing mountains and sheering sheep? If they are looking for a stunt driver, do you think they want to read half a page of hard science qualifications?

Writing a different resume for each job is not about padding out one section or changing your outwardly employable appearance. It is about highlighting the things that are relevant for the job, and perhaps removing some things that are not relevant to the job.

6. Over-write and Then Cut It Down

A CV is supposed to be a little longer, and a resume is supposed to be a little shorter. However, getting all the details down can be tricky. Your best bet is to over-write your resume by a wide degree, and then call that your CV. Then, go back to your CV and trim it down significantly to make it short enough, and call that version your resume. The good thing about over-writing is that when you make it shorter and more concise, you end up stripping away all the stuff that is padding and filler, and you only leave behind the good, concise and direct points.

7. Write Your Resume and Then Use a Template

When people use templates, they tend to write less, and they tend to limit themselves to whatever categories are listed on the template. There are some jobs where you need to focus on your human skills, or job-specific skills more than other elements in your resume, and a template will limit your efforts in this direction. If you are going out use a template, then write your resume first and then add what you have written into the template. Plus, add new categories into the template if they are appropriate.

8. Read Other People’s Resumes and See if You Can Lift a Few Points

It is not about stealing their qualifications or experience, it is more about copying their personal skills, hobbies and other things of interest. Many times, people forget what they have done, what skills they have, and even what experience they have. You can read other people's resumes and remind yourself of what you already know. Plus, sometimes other people use better buzzwords than you, such as being great at time management, hyper efficient, and inter-socially conscious.

Conclusion - Bring in the Professionals

You are not a resume writing professional, and nobody is asking you to be. You cannot expect to compete with the professionals at resume writing services because they write resumes every working day of the week. Perhaps you used this tips in this article and created the perfect resume, in which case, send it out and make your mark. If not, hire a professional, and start sending it out with abandon.

8 Useful Tips for Writing a Professional Resume - 2020About the Author: Ava Williams is an editor and career specialist at Resumeble.com. She is fond of traveling, guitar, biathlon, and snowboarding. Ava finds his inspiration in the success of her clients. Meet her on Twitter.